Ainge: KG has a spur

[Chris]

Awful news. And so begins the decline of KG.

(I'm not a pessimist, and we knew the decline would come sometime. Sadly, we didn't think it would be this soon and down to an injury. I need Big Ticket here to console me.)

How is this the decline of KG?  This is a pretty minor injury, that they will likely clean up in the offseason, and he will be as good as new next year. 

It does mean, he will likely be playing through pain all playoffs, but if he can play at 85-90%, and they get Powe OR Scal back, they are still a strong championship contender, providing their other guys continue to step up. 

How is it not a decline?
1. This is the worst injury of his career, and least productive season since his rookie year
2.He's been in the league for 14 seasons (all while barely missing a game) and is 32 years old, played in 1055 regular season games ( for example : Charles Barkley played in 1073, Patrick Ewing 1183, Hakeem Olajuwon 1238 Larry Bird 897  all of whom had big time dropoffs in the last 3-4 yrs of there careers before finally retiring).. he isnt going to get better anytime soon, He will and is in decline
3. He gets fatigued very quickly on the court and you have to be very cautious with his minutes.. His stats are declining, not only from his days in Minnesotta, but from last year
15/8/2 is decline when we're talking about a guy who put up 24/13/5 in his prime, injury or not

This is about the injury.  Perhaps there is decline happening (I would argue that it is marginal at best), but this injury is not an indicator of it.  This is a minor injury that is relatively easily cleaned up through minor surgery.  Players have things like this all the time, not just players in decline.

It would be one thing if it was a back issue, or tendonitis, or something else chronic.  This is actually very good news for Garnett going forward...just not the best case scenario for this season.

[cordobes]

I've already commented/speculated on this. A bone spur is a very vague expression. Where is it? Which tendon is it pressing? Why haven't they opted for surgery? Since when KG has it?

My bet is that KG has been suffering from patellar tendonitis, which is pretty common in pro basketball players - especially those who had growth spurts in their youth. As a consequence, micro-tears of the tendon may occur (the injury), as well as some calcification - the "bone spur", that's basically soft tissue (the tendon) turned into bone.  

Generally rest and antiinflammatories (even steroids in more aggressive therapies) can solve the issue (the tendonitis is chronic, but that's why you see so many NBA players using knee braces/straps and icing their knees right after the games....).

When rest doesn't work and the calcification is too severe, well, surgery is an option (and mandatory in case there's a rupture). But let's jut hope this doesn't happen. NOBODY WANTS TO PERFORM SURGERY ON THE PATTELAR TENDON. It will weaken the tendon (as tissue has to be removed) and increase the risks of a rupture. You basically have a McDyess situation or an exponentially high risk of having a McDyess situation. And McDyess was like the absolute best case scenario one could think of, a true miracle - and in spite of that, he's not even close of being the same player, from a physical point of view, he was before the surgery. This is the worst case scenario - rest doesn't work and surgery (that is simple in itself) must be performed.

Or maybe the "bone spur" is merely the scar tissue that resulted of the healing of a strain in the medial head of the gastrocnemius - that would be nice, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Anyway, cortisone shots, ultrasounds and deep frictions should be enough to put him ready for a month of playoff basketball.

 

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

[Redz]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Barry Bonds?

[crownsy]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

i dont think anyone was arguing that, i think they were arguing that a bone spur, which is a common injury, is going to be a chronic issue for KG as the OP inplied.

Hell, if its really a bone spur, i'll be HAPPY because thats an injury thats not likly to speed up that decline more than father time would.

[Chris]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

The point is that this thread is about his injury, not about his play over the last 5 years.  The comment which started this was when someone said that this injury is the beginning of his decline.  That is not accurate IMO.  This injury, and his decline are two completely separate entities.

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

The point is that this thread is about his injury, not about his play over the last 5 years.  The comment which started this was when someone said that this injury is the beginning of his decline.  That is not accurate IMO.  This injury, and his decline are two completely separate entities.

I dont know...Injuries often speed up the decline, no? Injuries had alot to do with the decline of so many great players, especially when you have one this far into your career

[Dreamof17]

Take it from someone who has had bone spurs and had them taken care of- while painful-I dealt with them for YEARS and was able to remain as active as I always have.  Yes, they hurt, but they are 110% manageable.  Once I had them taken care of- I kicked myself for waiting so long.  

[crownsy]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

The point is that this thread is about his injury, not about his play over the last 5 years.  The comment which started this was when someone said that this injury is the beginning of his decline.  That is not accurate IMO.  This injury, and his decline are two completely separate entities.

I dont know...Injuries often speed up the decline, no? Injuries had alot to do with the decline of so many great players, especially when you have one this far into your career

chronic/ serious ones do, sure.

a bone spur, unless it is the worst case scenario cor discribed, is not one of these.

[moiso]

This injury doesn't prove that he's declining, he should bounce back, but I pretty much agree with tattered.  He's still great but he has been declining for several years now, and injuries to add to that.  This is the 2nd consecutive year he's had to miss significant time with an injury and his PER has been steadily dropping for several years.  What's he averaging this year?  Like 16 and 9?  That's not simply a sacrifice for the good of the team.

[hpantazo]

i think saying it is the decline of KG is a BIT DRASTIC...a lot of athletes get these...i am sure he will have to have it removed in the offseason and he is going to have to play through the pain in the playoffs

Saying that KG isnt in decline is the thing thats a bit drastic to me.. Its inevetible. He isnt as good as he use to be, and is getting injured more...whats that?

I really want to know when someones stats have spiked after there 14th season, 1000+ games and a knee injury? how tinted are your glasses again?

Hakeem Olajuwon began a signifcant decline after his 13th season, it showed up in his stats and he obviously never became a 24/10 guy again..and retired a few years later after going to the toronto raptors

Patrick Ewing began a significant decline after his 12th season, Barkley after his 14th...etc etc etc

The point is that this thread is about his injury, not about his play over the last 5 years.  The comment which started this was when someone said that this injury is the beginning of his decline.  That is not accurate IMO.  This injury, and his decline are two completely separate entities.

I dont know...Injuries often speed up the decline, no? Injuries had alot to do with the decline of so many great players, especially when you have one this far into your career

chronic/ serious ones do, sure.

a bone spur, unless it is the worst case scenario cor discribed, is not one of these.

exactly. again, as others have stated. if it were a back problem or chronic tendinitis then yes, it would speed up his decline. A bone spur does not speed up any decline, so cool down. Kobe is technically on his decline slope. If he got a bone spur would you stick a fork in him and say he's done?

[2short]

I'd stick a fork in kobe sure   
this off season he'll get the spur filed down, be sore a bit and he's right back
bone spurs hurt yes but he can play through the pain and be at 75% for playoffs easily.  Back to back games with big minutes might be tough but if we have all our bigs except scal back not a problem.  Again bring kg off the bench!

[TitleMaster]

There's also ultrasound therapy for bone spurs in and around key ligaments.

[RAcker]

A bone spur was among the assemblage of injuries that ended Larry Legend's career over a 2-3 year period.  This is like that moment in a movie where "ominous foreshadowing" music is suddenly heard.

The bone spur did not end Larry's career.  It was 100% his back. Sorry.  This KG thing is great news to me.

[Chris]

There's also ultrasound therapy for bone spurs in and around key ligaments.

Interesting.  I don't really know anything about this.  Do you think this is something that they could concievably be trying now, with the hopes that it will improve things by the playoffs?